L.A. mayor, not just blowing smoke, calls Olympics a ‘big’ priority for 2017
Speaking to a group of business and civic leaders on Monday night, Mayor Eric Garcetti was asked about marijuana and Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Though cannabis remains a banned substance for elite athletes, voters recently legalized its recreational use in California.
“I mean, it does give the high jump a whole new meaning,” the mayor said.
The line drew a big laugh but, in serious moments, Garcetti told the Pacific Council on International Policy that bringing the Games back to L.A. for a third time ranks as a “big” global priority for 2017.
The LA 2024 bid committee has raised $40 million in private funding to support the campaign, he said.
Los Angeles is running a tight race against Paris and Budapest, with International Olympic Committee members scheduled to select a host in September.
“It is a time for all of us to utilize any connections we have to those 98 voters,” the mayor said. “It’s like a high school election for class president, it’s that small.”
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